Portable tapping apparatus



P 0, 1955 A. J. SEEWALDT 2,718,341

PORTABLE TAPPING APPARATUS Filed July 27, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR. A655 T'J: SEEWALDT VWMW A NEY P 20, 1955 A. J. SEEWALDT 2,718,341

PORTABLE TAPPING APPARATUS Filed July 27, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. AA8E/F7'J SEEM ALB]- United States Patent Office 2,718,341 Patented Sept. 20, 1955 PORTABLE TAPPIN G APPARATUS Albert J. Seewaldt, Gainesville, N. Y.

Application July 27, 1951, Serial No. 238,815

1 Claim. (Cl. 224--) This invention appertains to improvements in portable drills and especially relates to an improved power operated tree tapping apparatus.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a light weight and compact drilling apparatus, which is powered by an internal combustion engine and which can be easily held by an operator for tapping maple trees.

Another object of this invention is to provide a support for an internal combustion engine and a tool holder, which is driven by the engine, the support being easily carried by an operator by means of a shoulder strap and being easily moved by means of handles so that a tool, such as a drill, can be moved relative to a tree, as it is rotated by the engine.

These and ancillary objects and structure features of merit are attained by this invention, the preferred embodiment of which is set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of the tapping apparatus, constructed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view;

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken on line 55 of Figure 3, and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the apparatus.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the tree tapping apparatus 10 includes a light weight support which includes opposing parallel end plates 14 and 16. The end plates are formed on their inner confronting surfaces with grooves 18 and 20, the grooves being vertically spaced and transversely disposed.

A pair of vertically spaced horizontal plates 22 and 24 are provided, the plate 24 forming a bottom or base and having its opposing ends socketed in the grooves 20 on each end plate. The plate 22 forms a top plate and has its opposing ends received in the grooves 18, the plate being positioned below the upper ends of the end plates.

The plates 22 and 24 are disposed in parallelism and are afiixed to the end plates by tie rods 26. The tie rods have their opposing threaded ends extended through bores 28 formed in the end plates below the grooves so that the tie rods are disposed subadjacent the plates 22 and 24. The bores 28 are counterbored at the outer surfaces of the end plates, so that the counterbores 30 accommodate the nuts 32 threaded on the ends of the tie rods.

A conventional single cylinder internal combustion gasoline engine 34 is provided and has its base fastened on the plate 24, so that the motor is fixedly positioned between the end plates and the top and bottom plates. A cover member or shield 36 is hinged at its upper inwardly curved end 38 to the motor and depends therefrom to enclose the starting pulley 40, the lower or free end 42 of the shield abutting the rear edge 44 of the base plate 24. The rear edge 44 of the base plate projects beyond the rear edge of the top plate to cooperate with the shield in enclosing the starting pulley.

Openings 46 and 48 are formed in the end plates, the opening 46 in the end plate 14 providing convenient access to the spark plug 50 and the opening 48 in the end plate 16 facilitating access to the air cleaner 52. Similarly, an opening 54 is formed in the top plate 22 to expose the cap 56 for the fuel tank 58.

Handles 60 and 62 are affixed to the outer surfaces of the end plates adjacent the upper ends thereof, the handles being vertically disposed and fastened by fasteners 64 disposed through the mounting flanges 66 on the ends of the handles. An eye bolt 68 is secured transversely through the end plate 16 so that the eye extends laterally from the inner surface of the plate. An eye bolt 70 is secured to the lower end of the end plate 14 so that the eye extends laterally from the outer surface of the end plate below the bottom plate 24. A strap 72 is provided at its opposing ends with hooks, which are engageable on the eyes, so that the support can be carried by an operator, the strap passing over the right shoulder of an operator and around his back and left side. Thus the machine is positioned forwardly of the operator, with the shield 36 preventing the starting pulley from becoming entangled in the clothing of the operator.

A drive pulley 74 is fixedly circumposed on the extending end of the crank shaft 76, the pulley being vertically aligned with a driven pulley 78 and having a connecting belt 80 entrained thereon. The pulley 78 is fixedly circumposed on a shaft 82, which is journaled for rotation on the top plate 22. Bearings 84 are fastened on the top plate by cooperating brackets 85 and rotatably support the shaft, which projects forwardly of the forward edge of the plate and has a chuck 86 disposed thereon. The chuck receives a conventional auger type bit 88 but, of course, other forms of tool holders may be fixed on the shaft to accommodate various types of drills or reamers.

In use, the machine is carried by an operator by means of the strap 72 with the bit extending forwardly of the operator. The motor is then started by using the starting wheel and the rotating bit is manipulated by using the handles 60 and 62, so that the bit may be positioned as desired relative to a standing tree to tap the tree.

Of course, the machine can be used for other drilling purposes or operations where an easily portable and manipulated power driven drill would be desirable and, therefore, limitation is sought only in accordance with the appended claim.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed is:

In a portable drilling apparatus for tapping trees including a horizontal bottom plate, the provision of a pair of vertical end plates afiixed to opposite sides of said bottom plate and extending upwardly therefrom, a pair of handles each aflixed to the upper portion of the outer side of said end plates, an upwardly extending body shield aflixed to the rear of said bottom plate, an inwardly directed eye affixed to the upper portion of the inner side of one of said end plates, an outwardly directed eye affixed to the lower portion of the outer side of the other of said end plates, and a shoulder strap of flexible material removably connected at each of its ends to said eyes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,542,163 Morde June 16, 1925 1,550,414 Anderson Aug. 28, 1925 1,839,177 Pritchard Dec. 29, 1931 2,566,464 Redenback Sept. 4, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 173,126 Switzerland Feb. 1, 1935 

